Wächter and Bang Zindorff Take Individual Gold Medals at 2025 European Pony Championships

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2025 European Pony, Children, Junior Riders Championships

Germany's Maya Wächter and Denmark's Victoria Bang Zindorff became the individual gold medal winners at the 2025 European Pony Championships in Le Mans, France, on 29 July - 3 August 2025.

Following the team championship won by Germany, the competition continued on Friday and Saturday 1 - 2 August 2025 with the individual test contested by all 42 participating combinations. The best 18 of the individual test (maximum 3 per nation) moved on to the Kur to Music finals on Sunday morning 3 August.

Individual Test Gold: Maya Wächter

Germany's pony team new comer Maya Wächter and her experienced 14-year old PAV Nasdaq (by Nemax x FS Don't Worry) were the penultimate pair to go on Friday and finished the day with the top score of 74.784%, a personal best. No rider on Saturday could match that result so it was a long wait for Wächter to be certain of her individual gold medal.

The individual test podium: Gosmann, Wächter, Zindorff

The judges panel, consisting of Elisabeth Max-Theurer, Olivier Smeets, Francis Verbeek, Jean-Michel Roudier, and Kurt Christensen, were almost unanimous in Wächter's pole position with their scores between in line. The 15-year old Maya has leased Nasdaq from Hof Kasselmann after the dealer's yard purchased the pony from the Polish Pawluk family, who had obtained it from Lucie-Anouk Baumgurtel with whom Nasdaq became the 2020 European Pony Champion.

Wächter began riding at an early age with her mom and sister also in the saddle. She switched from show jumping to dressage. She rose to prominence in Germany by winning the 2023 German Developing Pony Rider Championship on FS New Wave (by Numero Uno x Champion de Luxe) and began her international show career on Nasdaq in September 2024. She has only been showing internationally for one year. Based in Gerlingen, in Baden-Württemberg, she trains with Nadine Dieterle.

"He gives me the confidence and then you can ride well," said Wächter about her pony. "He really fights for you in the test.

The silver medal was for German team mate Leni-Sophie Gosmann aboard the 9-year old buckskin stallion Diamantini EA (by Diamond Touch x FS Pavarotti). After winning the team test and team gold medal on Thursday, Gosmann ended up second in the individual test with 73.162%. For Leni this is her second European Championships having won team gold in 2024 but landed just off the podium at the Euros in Opglabbeek. This year she picked up two in two days. Gosmann trains with Stefanie Wittmann.

The bronze was for Danish Victoria Bang Zindorff aboard Line Rude Hare's 11-year old German bed stallion Del Classico (by D-Day x Classic Dancer). She scored 73.135% to finish third, edging out Dutch Esmae Niessen on the Danish bred Strandgaards Do It My Way (by Dr. Doolittle x Bonansa) with a personal best of 73.054%.

"It's absolutely fantastic and completely unreal," said Zindorff said after getting her second bronze medal of the weekend. Denmark finished third in the team competition. "Everyone did all they could do and it was amazing," she said about the team effort.

Kur: Zindorff Finds Gold

In the Kur to Music finals on Sunday the tables were turned, on the podium, as Victoria Bang Zindorff topped the board and finished first for gold. Zindorff was the penultimate rider to start in the freestyle and this advantageous position helped convince the judges' panel of her riding and music. She received a personal best of 77.560% for the victory. The judges were fairly, though, as she ranked first with three judges and third with two. Her individual marks ranged from 75.375% to 81.000%

A daughter of Danish Grand Prix squad rider and horse dealer Lone Bang Zindorff, the 15-year old Victoria is riding her second Europeans on Del Classico. At the 2024 Euros in Opglabbeek she won team silver but stranded in 35th place in the individual test and did not made it into the Kur Finals.

Victoria still has one year to go on ponies but already has been showing at international junior level with the 19-year old danish bred Atterupgaards Final Kiss (by French Kiss x Diamond), who has shown with three other riders internationally (Sanne Henningsen, Emma Lou Becca and Tobias Thorning Jorgensen).

The silver medal in the freestyle was for Leni-Sophie Gosmann and Diamantini WE who picked up her second individual silver of the weekend. The pair scored 76.605% and ranked between 1st and 6th place, although the spread was less big (74.175% and 77.900%)

As last rider to go, Maya Wächter aboard PAV Nasdaq, held the best cards to go for a third gold, but she ended up third with bronze on a score of 76.475%. A bobble in the walk pirouette probably kept her from a golden hattrick. The judges had her between 75.125% and 78.325%

Dutch Esmae Niessen on the Danish bred Strandgaards Do It My Way) again landed off the podium, in fourth place, with 75.170%. Four judges had her between 73.7 - 75.50%, the Dutch judge saw a 78.200% in it.

The top five was completed by Danish Filippa Jaeger Jensen, also the daughter of a professional Danish Grand Prix rider (Betina Jaeger Jensen). Aboard Mia Lee's 8-year old German pony Top Vincento (by Top Vidal x Nantano) she scored 75.020%